


Much Ado About Something

by Cat_stiel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst with a Happy Ending, Doctor Castiel (Supernatural), F/M, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mechanic Dean Winchester, Pining Dean Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:54:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27351547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cat_stiel/pseuds/Cat_stiel
Summary: Cas has asked Dean on a "date" after he fails to ask out the person he wanted to. Dean agrees to go as his friend. What Cas doesn't know is that Dean has had a crush on him for years.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Jessica Moore/Sam Winchester
Comments: 38
Kudos: 174





	1. Chapter 1

Dean heard his phone ring and pulled his head from under the hood of the car he was working on. It was rare that he got calls during work. Most of his friends texted him. In fact only one friend consistently phoned him. He smiled as he picked up his phone and saw the caller id.

"Heya Cas. What's up?" He said as he answered the phone.

"Hello Dean," came the reply in Cas's deep warm voice. Dean felt his smile grow bigger and settled against the car to hear what Cas had to say. There was a pause, maybe some hesitancy, before Cas continued. "May I ask if you have any plans for this evening?"

Dean thought about it. It was a Thursday, so not his most social day of the week. "Nothing yet," he replied. "Why? Do you want to get a beer or something?"

There was that hesitation again before Cas said, "actually, I have tickets to the ballet and was wondering if you would like to accompany me."

Dean burst out laughing. He had not been expecting that even though he really should have. He saw some of his coworkers giving him questioning looks but he waved them off. He would tell them later.

"So who is she?" He asked as soon as he managed to catch a breath. 

"A new nurse at the hospital," Cas told him, a little grudgingly. Cas was a family doctor with privileges at the local hospital. Most of the girls he met seemed to be nurses.

Dean figured he could tease Cas and get more of the details later. He got a hold of himself then asked, " Are we getting dinner first or heading straight there?"

"I made a reservation at Milton's," Cas informed him.

Dean was impressed. Milton's and ballet? This girl seemed special. 

Milton's was the fanciest restaurant in town, the kind of place you took dates to impress them. It was run by Dean's ex (and Cas's cousin) Anna. Getting a reservation normally took days or weeks. Of course neither Dean or Cas really needed to make reservations. They had both helped Anna get the money to start the place and now could go in at any time and get a table. Neither of them abused that privilege though, and normally tried to make reservations ahead of time.

"What time do you want me to pick you up?" Dean asked.

Cas immediately started to protest and say that he had asked so it was only right that he picked Dean up.

"Cas, I'm not going anywhere in that gold monstrosity you call a car. Plus we are going to fancy places; we need a fancy car. I'll pick you up in Baby."

Baby was Dean's 1967 Chevy impala. It had been the childhood home for his brother Sam and him. He had rebuilt the car himself after the accident that killed their dad. It was his pride and joy and you couldn't insult the car without insulting Dean. 

Cas reluctantly accepted then they agreed that Dean would pick him up just after 6. Their reservation was for 6:30 and the ballet started at 8. Those details done they said their goodbyes and hung up.

Dean stared down at his phone and smiled. Benny, one of Dean's best friends and co-workers walked over.

"That Cas?" He asked. At Deans nod he looked concerned. "What did he need so urgent?"

Dean chuckled. "He has tickets to the ballet," he said, like that explained everything. Luckily Benny knew Cas enough that it did.

Cas was an awkward guy. Once in a while he would meet some girl that he liked. Then he would buy tickets to a play, ballet or other entertainment, all in preparation of asking her out. The problem was, every time he chickened out. Then he would call up someone in his friend group, more often than not Dean but sometimes Anna or even Sam, and see if they wanted to go. Dean had been on several of these "dates" with him over the years.

Dean checked his watch. It was almost 4. Work ended at 5 but he decided to call it early. It was one of the perks of being the boss.

"I'm going to head out early," Dean informed Benny. "Lock up for me?"

Benny agreed and Dean headed home to get ready for his "date".


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the backstory to all of this is that my family actually has a friend who use to do what Cas did. He would meet some girl, buy tickets to some show and chicken out. Then he would be left asking friends to go with him. My dad went on several "dates" with this friend. In his case there were no feelings between him and the friends he took but I thought it was a fun story idea.

Dean was just stepping out of the shower when his phone rang again. He expected it to be Cas but was pleasantly surprised to see that Sam was calling.

"Hey Sammy, what's up?" 

"It's Sam," Sam replied automatically, then he said "Jess got the transfer she wanted and we are going to the Roadhouse to celebrate. Want to join us?"

"I'd love to," Dean told him, "but I'm heading to the ballet."

"The ballet?" Sam repeated, like the words were in a foreign language, then he figured it out. "Cas chickened out again?"

"Yep," Dean said brightly. "Now I have to play knight in shining armor and go with him."

There was a pause then Sam asked seriously, “Is that really a good idea? Going on these dates, I mean? I know how you feel about him.”

Dean closed his eyes. He wanted to get annoyed at Sam but he knew that the question came from brotherly concern. Dean would ask the same question if he was in Sam’s place.

Dean had been in love with Cas for years. They had been friends since middle school and had kept in touch even when they had gone to different colleges and universities. Whenever there was a break they would meet up and hang out. When Cas finally got his medical license he moved back to their hometown. Dean had never left and was delighted to have his best friend back.

He had never told Cas how he felt. At first it was insecurities over his sexual orientation (he was bi). His dad had been upset and almost abusive when Dean had come out but Cas and Sam had stood by him. In the year or so before he died Dean’s dad had come around and been far more accepting. Apparently Sam and Cas had a talk with him.

The next reason Dean had come up with was that Cas had never shown interest in men before and Dean didn’t want to mess up their friendship. That reason still held true. The thing was, he was comfortable with his love for Cas. Yeah it hurt sometimes to watch Cas talk about the people he liked but for the most time it was a comfortable love. He thought it must be how couples who had been together forever must feel about their other half. He was happy to just spend time with him, with no expectation of anything else.

He hadn’t spent all his time pining for Cas, though. He had dated lots and even had a few longer relationships. None of them lasted more than a year and ended for different reasons (Cassie because she couldn’t accept that he was bisexual, Aaron cheated of him, Michael was controlling and abusive and Lisa thought he was too hung up on Cas to have a real relationship). He was still friends with a few of the people he had dated, like Lisa, Anna, and Aaron, while he had to get a restraining order for Michael. For the last couple years he had stuck to one night stands. They were easier and allowed Dean more time to focus on his business. Plus it left him always available when family or friends needed him, like when Cas needed a date because he had chickened out of asking some girl out.

“It's fine, Sam. Besides how else am I going to see things like the ballet?” he chuckled.

“You could always go by yourself,” Sam suggested but they both knew there was no way that would ever happen.

Dean laughed then changed the subject back to Sam and Jess. “I’m not sure what time the ballet will be over but if you are still at the Roadhouse when it is done we can swing by and grab a beer. Either way tell Jess congrats from me.”

Sam agreed and they hung up. Dean checked his watch. He had about an hour before he had to meet Cas. 

Dean spent more time than he would be willing to admit on choosing his clothes. He finally decided to keep it simple, slacks and dress shirt, but he did add a bright green tie that Lisa used to say brought out his eyes. Cas might not be interested in him but Dean still found that he wanted to look his best for him.

When he had about 15 mins to go Dean gave himself one last look over in the mirror before grabbing his keys and heading to Cas’s place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is doing well. The world seems like a strange place right now and it can be a little lonely so I am happy that you are all here to enjoy stories (not just mine) together. 
> 
> Stay safe out there!!


	3. Chapter 3

Dean had to knock twice before Cas opened the door looking flustered. He was dressed but somehow everything looked slightly sloppy. His hair looked like he had been running his hands through it, and his tie was on backwards. Dean chuckled and stepped forward into the apartment. 

"Hey Cas, where's the fire?" 

Cas looked around confused. "What fire?" He asked. Then with more concern, "there's a fire?"

Dean smiled. "There's no fire, Cas. But from the way you looked panicked I would have guessed there was one."

Cas took a calming breath and nodded. He had told Dean in the past that he appreciated when Dean explained these things to him. Dean didn't mind taking the time. In fact, he thought it was cute.

"I'm sorry," Cas told him as he moved towards his hall closet to get his signature trench coat. "I left the office later than I expected and have been rushing to make sure I was ready on time."

Dean rubbed the back of his neck and said. "You didn't need to rush on my account. You know I don't mind waiting."

Cas smiled at him, one of his rare but true smiles. "I know that, but it is still rude. Also I would prefer not to have to rush through dinner. I want to enjoy the time we have together."

Damn it was hard to not be in love with him, Dean thought. He stepped forward and fixed Cas's tie, earning himself another smile. Then, showing great restraint, Dean stepped back without kissing him.

It only took Cas a couple more minutes to collect his phone, keys and wallet then they were out the door. The drive to Milton’s only took about 10 mins and Dean made sure to keep the music low enough that they could talk without yelling. Mostly they talked about Jess’s transfer and how if they had time they would go find her and Sam and buy them a drink in celebration.

Milton’s was fancy enough that there was valet parking. It was the only place in town with valet parking but Anna had said that it gave the place a sense of importance and elegance. Dean didn’t know about that but it seemed to work; the place was always busy.

Dean reluctantly handed over his keys to the valet when they got there. They all knew better than to even attempt to joyride in Dean’s car. One person had tried it and ended up arrested, fired, and sued. It probably hadn’t helped that Dean had the only black chevy impala in town.

When they got inside Cas walked up to the hostess, someone Dean didn't know and must be new, and told her, "I have a reservation for 2 under the name Novak."

She did a bit of a double take when she looked at him. Dean could understand. Cas was a handsome guy. He was less understanding when she flirted with Cas the whole way to their table. He was just glad that she had to go back up front and wasn't their waitress.

The table the hostess led them too was the one that Dean, Anna, and Cas had jokingly nicknamed the “date table”. It was secluded off to the side away from most of the restaurant traffic. It made it ideal for talking without interruptions and distractions. When Dean and Cas normally came to the restaurant together, they would get a table right in the middle of things. That way people could stop and talk with them, like Anna or anyone else they saw that they knew. Dean couldn’t ever remember sitting at the “date table” with or without Cas.

The dinner was fun. It was nice being secluded away from everyone because it gave Dean and Cas a chance to talk without being constantly interrupted. They talked about their work and Cas told Dean all about a nature documentary he had watched on the subject of bees. In return Dean told him about larping with Charlie the weekend before. They had both tried to convince Cas to join them but he'd been busy.

They were just waiting on dessert (pie for Dean, chocolate cake for Cas) when Anna came over. She seemed surprised to see Dean there. 

"Hi Cas, I thought this was a date," she said as she got close, then she paused, considering them. "Unless Dean is the date? In that case congratulations. Especially you Dean."

Dean could feel himself flush red. He tried to subtlety shake his head at her. She was one of the few people who knew his long standing crush on Cas and he really didn’t need her to expose it to him. Cas was staring at both of them confused. Anna caught on and seemed flustered like she didn’t know how to fix what she had said.

Dean decided to save all of them by putting on an over the top smile and saying, “No. Nothing like that. Cas chickened out again and I was his backup plan. I guess he forgot to call ahead and change our table.” 

Anna latched on to this like the only plank from a sinking ship and turned to start teasing Cas about chickening out again. Cas responded to her teasing in his usual deadpan manner but Dean could see that he was still trying to figure out Anna’s comments from before. Dean hoped that he would forget it soon. Cas could obsess about things like that and might end up with the right conclusion, at which case Dean and their friendship would be screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is having a good week. It might be scary out there but at least there are stories (books, movies, tv shows, ect) to escape to. On that note if anyone has any recommendations I am always open to reading or watching new things.
> 
> Stay safe out there!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the angst continue.

The rest of the dinner went fine and Cas seemed to forget about Anna's slip up by the time they made it to the ballet. It was a production of Swan Lake and Cas spent the drive over telling Dean the story of the ballet. Dean was happy to listen and relaxed as Cas went on about the story and the music.

Dean actually enjoyed the ballet. He wouldn't admit this to anyone, especially Sam, but he liked going to these things with Cas. And not just because it was with Cas. He enjoyed watching plays and ballet. It was interesting and different. There was no way he would go on his own, but he didn't mind being "forced" to go with Cas. He wondered if Cas had figured it out because Dean was always his first call when he had theatre or ballet tickets.

The only chance they had to talk after they arrived at the theatre was during the intermission. Dean decided to keep Cas's focus on the ballet by asking him to explain everything that had happened so far. Cas excitedly revamped the first half for Dean. Dean wasn't really listening, instead focusing on how talking about things he loved lit up Cas. Most people saw him as stoic or somber but really he was just shy. Dean had been his best friend long enough to know how to drag him out of his shell.

The rest of the ballet passed quickly and as soon as the house lights came up Dean texted Sammy to see if he was still at the Roadhouse. The text he got back was full of misspelled words and strange auto-corrections but the gist was yes they were still there. Dean had to smile at the text. Sammy was drunk.

He turned to Cas and asked, "do you still want to swing by the Roadhouse before I drop you off? Maybe grab a drink with Sam and Jess?"

Cas agreed and they headed out to the car. The drive passed quickly. Cas was still riding the high of seeing the ballet and Dean was happy to listen as he explained his favorite parts and why he was excited for them to return in the winter to perform The Nutcracker. 

"Maybe we could see it together?" Dean found himself suggesting. He immediately wanted to kick himself for saying anything but Cas didn't even seem to have heard him so he seemed to be safe.

The Roadhouse was busy when they pulled in and Dean parked around back where there were less cars. He wasn't going to risk his baby being scratched up by some drunk. It was a bit further to walk but that was a price he was willing to pay.

It was easy to spot Sam and Jess when they got into the Roadhouse. Sam was standing and drunkenly swaying in the middle of a group of their friends. At 6’5” Sam towered over all of them. Once they had spotted Sam it was easy to see Jess. She was also standing (and swaying) and appeared to be singing. 

They started over to where Sam was but took a detour when they got close to the bar. Two women were working the taps, Ellen and her daughter Jo. Jo waved them over and Dean put in an order for two beers. Cas tried to protest and pay for his own but Dean reminded him that he had paid for everything else so this could be on Dean's tab. 

"I also want to get Sam and Jess another round of whatever they're drinking," Dean told Jo. 

She nodded and started pulling drinks. "It will be their last round. I was planning on cutting them off anyways." Dean opened his mouth to say something but Jo cut him off. "Don't worry, I'll make sure they get at least one round of water before they leave, Mr Mom."

Dean jokingly scowled at the nickname but just paid for his drinks without saying anything. He had been taking care of Sam since they were kids and had been called Mr Mom or other such things for years. When he was younger it had bugged him but now he could just shrug it off.

Once their drinks were ready they made their way to Sam and Jess. Dean was carrying the drinks for them while Cas was carrying his and Deans beer. Sam spotted them first and lurched his way out of the group with a yell.

"Dean!" He yell-slurred. "You came!" 

He stepped forward to give Dean a hug but Dean side stepped him and handed off his drink. He then passed Jess her drink and said, "congratulations on your transfer."

She downed her drink then gave him a big grin, followed by a hug. She was wasted. Jess was an affectionate drunk. Lots of hugs and 'I love you's to everyone. He looked over at Sam, who had a sappy look on his face and an empty drink in his hand. He was a sappy drunk, though he didn't seem nearly as wasted as Jess. 

With his hands now free Dean turned to Cas to grab his drink. He gave him a quick smile of thanks but turned back to Jess quickly when she let out a high pitch squeal.

"That's so cute!" She practically yelled. "You two are so cute. Sam told me you went on a date tonight. Did Dean finally grow balls and ask you out?"

Dean froze. The blood rushed into his ears and he could hear Cas asking Jess questions and her answering. He swung his eyes around to see Sam. He had a look of horror on his face which told Dean the situation was just as bad as he felt it was. He had kept his secret for years and was now watching it all unravel because of his brother's drunk girlfriend.

He wanted to yell, cry, and hit something, but he did none of those things. He looked around at the group of friends, some of them just Jess and Sam's but some of them his, and saw that a few of them had realized what was happening. One, a nurse from the hospital Dean thought, was trying to distract Jess and get her to change the subject. Another, a nurse named Gilda, was recording it. Dean thought briefly about smashing her phone but knew it would solve nothing.

Dean put his untouched beer on a table and turned to leave. He knew he should say something, or see if Cas still needed a ride but all he wanted was to get out. He heard his brother say his name but he ignored it. He could talk to Sam tomorrow. He couldn't talk now if he tried.

If someone asked him later how he made it to his car he wouldn't have been able to answer. He sunk into the familiar comfort of the leather seat and leaned his head back. He was breathing hard, like he'd been running, and he knew it wasn't safe to drive until he had calmed down. He reached under the passenger seat to pull out his box of cassette tapes and grabbed out a Metallica one. He put it in the tape deck, turned on the car, then turned the music up as high as he could stand it.

He felt himself start to calm down almost immediately. Most people might have found it loud and obnoxious but, to Dean, the music soothed his soul. The music and the car were two things that had stayed constant in his life and they worked like a security blanket. 

The passenger door opened and Cas slid in. He looked at Dean carefully then nodded. "If it's not inconvenient, I would like a ride home," he said, his voice deep and soothing.

Dean gave him a small smile. He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry but for now Cas was treating him the same way he always had. There might be questions and talks later but for now nothing had changed.

Dean turned the music down to more tolerable levels before driving off in the direction of Cas's apartment. They didn’t talk; Cas seemed to understand that Dean couldn’t talk right then. Since he was little whenever Dean was stressed, sad, mad, or any other strong emotion, he lost the ability to speak. The longest it had gone was almost a year after his mom had died when he was 4. Now the longest Dean normally went was a week and that was when he was in a really bad place. It was too early to really tell but Dean had a feeling this could be a week long silence. 

He pulled up in front of Cas’s apartment and turned off the car. It was silent, almost awkward and Dean wished he could say something but he couldn’t. Finally Cas said “Thank you for going to the ballet with me. I really enjoyed it.”

Dean looked over at him and gave a half shrug and smile. Cas seemed to understand because he got out of the car but before he left he said “please text me tomorrow. I want to know if you need anything.” Then he closed the door and disappeared into the building


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst continues! Mostly just Dean and Sam hanging out.

Dean woke up with a splitting headache. It wasn’t a hangover, he had drunk the rest of his whiskey the night before but it was only a glass and a half. No, the headache was probably more related to all the tears he had cried.

He checked his phone and saw that he had dozens of missed calls from Sam and Jess as well as at least 50 texts. He still didn’t feel up to speaking so he decided to wait until later to read them and get back to people. He also wasn’t feeling up to work. Luckily it was still early enough that he texted Benny asking him to open the shop that day and telling him that he wouldn’t be coming in. Benny quickly texted back an affirmative. 

That taken care of, Dean rolled out of bed and went to get his coffee started. While he waited for it to brew he downed a couple mugs full of water to counteract the dehydration both the alcohol and tears from the night before had produced. He thought about making breakfast but he wasn’t hungry. 

Once his coffee was ready, he took it into the living room, got his couch set up with pillows and blankets and prepared to binge watch the original trilogy of Star Wars. He figured once those were done he might be ready to face his phone. If not, there were always more movies to watch. 

He did check his phone through the day, responding to texts from Benny and his other employees. But anything that wasn't work related he put off. It wasn't until after the credit rolled on Return of the Jedi, that Dean started looking at his other texts. There was one from Cas saying that he had a fun night the night before and he would text Dean more when he got off work. Dean could read between the lines; Cas knew his secret and wanted to talk about it, but also wanted Dean to know that they were still friends. It was nice to hear but Dean wasn't sure how reassured he was.

Next he worked through Sam's texts and voicemails. The voicemails were hard to listen to because Sam sounded panicked and sorry. Part of Dean just wanted to forgive him but Dean was too hurt to forgive right now. Deep down he knew it wasn't Sam's fault but he had told Jess Dean's secret and she had shared it to Cas. 

Sam's last voicemail was calmer and from the morning. He seemed to have realised that Dean might be having trouble speaking so he told Dean he would swing by after work so they could talk. Dean rolled his eyes but made a mental note to grab out a pad of paper and pen before Sam showed up.

He decided not to read or listen to Jess's text and voicemails. He wasn't ready for it. She was a nice girl and good with Sam but he needed time to figure out how he felt. He knew he would probably forgive her but that didn't make what she did right.

He did get a text from one of his other best friends Charlie which just read 'I heard. Movie night tomorrow?' Dean texted her yes. Charlie would understand better than anyone. 

He was halfway through Batman Begins, when there was a knock on his door. Dean gave a brief thought about pretending he wasn't home but decided to bite the bullet. 

He was relieved to see that it was Sam at the door. He figured it was the lesser of 2 evils. He held the door open silently and waited for Sam to enter. Then he led the way into the kitchen, opened the fridge and offered Sam a beer by holding it up. Sam nodded and Dean grabbed himself one too. Next he led them to the living room where he had set up a pad of paper. 

Sam saw the paper and grimaced. Dean knew it wasn’t at him but more at how bad it meant the situation was. He just shrugged and sat down.

"Jess wanted to come too," Sam started, "but I told her it might be better to give you a day or two."

Dean nodded. He liked Jess fine but he was glad Sam had told her no. Beyond the obvious reasons why he wasn't ready to see her, she had also never experienced Dean in one of his mute phases. Introducing her to them in the middle of one that she had caused seemed like a bad idea.

They sat there awkwardly for several minutes before Sam asked, “Have you talked to Cas today?”

Dean pulled up Cas’s text on his phone and showed it to Sam. Sam read it twice then gave Dean a small smile. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

Dean gave him a glare and Sam gave him an apologetic look. Sam shifted uncomfortably and started and stopped talking several times. Dean could have made it easy on him, let him know it wasn’t his fault but he didn’t. Instead he waited Sam out.

Finally Sam said, “I am so sorry. Jess is too. She didn’t even remember what happened but Charlie’s friend Gilda was there and recorded the whole thing. She sent it to Jess this morning. She was horrified when she watched it.”

Dean made a face at the idea of his humiliation being on tape. Sam saw and was quick to say, “Gilda said she was going to delete it as soon as she sent it, and I think she would. Probably the only other person she would have shown it to was Charlie.”

That was probably right and would have explained Charlie’s text from earlier. She had known him long enough to know about both his feelings for Cas and how he would react to those feelings being outed. He trusted her and knew that she would make sure the video was deleted, even if she had to hack every computer to do it.

He also spared a brief thought to the fact Sam kept referring to Gilda as Charlie's friend. They had been dating for almost two years. He thought that he would bug Sam about it later, when he was feeling better.

Sam was still talking and Dean focused back on him as he listened to Sam explain why he thought Jess made the comments she had. Apparently Sam had told her about the “dates” Cas would take people on when he chickened out of asking a girl out, about Dean’s feelings for Cas, and how Dean and Cas would come by the bar later after their “date”. He thought that in her drunken state it got all mixed up in her memory and she thought they were on an actual date. She had just wanted to share their excitement.

That didn’t actually make Dean feel better. Maybe later, when a bit of time had passed, he would be able to understand what had happened. What he was feeling must have shown of his face because Sam suddenly stopped trying to justify her actions. Instead he apologized again. 

This time Dean did let him off the hook. He gave him a small smile then hit play of the movie he had been watching. Sam took the peace offering for what it was and settled in to watch the ending of Batman Begins and drink his beer.

Sam didn’t stay more than a few minutes after the end of the movie. He apologized again and told Dean he would check in on him in a couple days. 

Once he was alone Dean made his way back to his couch. He loved his brother but for now he just wanted to wallow. Wallow, eat pizza, drink beer, and watch Batman beat up bad guys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So last week I was having a bad week. Nothing really terrible; I was just in a bad mood for days and had a headache that wouldn't go away. Luckily so far this week seems to be going better already (still having headache issues, though).
> 
> I hope you are all doing well. Stay safe out there!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! This has been a crazy year.
> 
> Just a bit more angst to get you through the week and next time we will get Charlie!

Dean must have fallen asleep, because the knock on the door woke him up and the credits were rolling on the last Batman movie. He checked the time, almost 9pm. He then checked his phone. There were no new messages indicating anyone was coming over.

Reluctantly he got up and made his way to the door. He opened it without checking and saw Cas standing there. They stared at each other for several long moments before Dean stepped aside to let him in. Just like with Sam, Dean started by leading him to the kitchen. This time instead of grabbing a beer he put his kettle on and grabbed down mugs and the tea bags he had bought just for when Cas visited. 

Cas took over the tea making when the kettle finished boiling. He made cups for both himself and Dean then carried both of them to the living room. Dean followed him, made himself comfortable on his couch and took a sip of the tea Cas had handed him. 

He wouldn’t admit it out loud but Dean had started to like tea. It was like the ballet and theatre, things he only did with Cas. No one else knew he liked those things and he would probably deny it to his last breath, to maintain his manly image, but Cas knew. Cas had always been good at seeing Dean past all the layers that stopped most people. That’s probably why Dean fell for him.

That was also why Dean knew this conversation would be hard. He might have been able to hide what he had been feeling before but now that Cas knew the truth he would be able to see past Dean’s lies. So there was no point in even trying.

Cas drank most of his cup of tea before he started talking. “I have been doing a lot of thinking since last night. I thought about what Anna said and what Jess said. I even called Anna and asked her to clarify her remarks.” Dean grimaced slightly at that and Cas saw, saying, “She didn’t have anything to add and even apologized for what she had said. So I spent more time thinking and I thought about your and Sam’s reaction to what Jess said. And I came to the conclusion that there was some truth to what she had said.”

Dean closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see the expression on Cas’s face. He couldn’t handle it, whether it was anger, amusement, sympathy or worst yet, disgust. 

He felt fingers on his face gently turning it towards Cas. He kept his eyes shut. Then he heard Cas’s voice, low and soothing imploring him to open his eyes. He did slowly, his green eyes looking straight into Cas’s deep blues. 

“Is it true?” Cas asked quietly. “Do you have feelings for me?”

Dean couldn’t answer if he wanted to but he didn’t need to. Cas saw the answer in his eyes. He gave Dean a reassuring smile then asked “how long?”

Dean leaned back and Cas frowned at him but Dean was only reaching for the pad of paper and pen he had put out earlier. He thought about lying, saying it was a recent development, but he looked over at Cas and decided to grow balls and tell the truth. ‘High school’, he wrote.

Cas read it, looked at Dean and asked, “were you ever going to tell me?”

Dean stared at the paper then wrote ‘no’. Cas gave him a scolding look and Dean started writing more. When he was finished writing he handed it to Cas.

Cas read it out loud, “ ‘I didn't see the point. You are straight, you only talk about girls and I wasn’t going to risk our friendship over something I knew was never going to happen. Plus I like being friends. I don’t need to be dating you to hang out. I didn’t want it to get weird.’ ” 

He finished reading and looked at Dean, a very serious expression on his face. “I want to start by saying thank you for telling me now and that I am sorry how this information came out. It wasn’t fair to you and it wasn’t fair to me. I also want you to know that you are my best friend and I don’t see that changing. We have too many years behind us.”

Dean let out a small breath of relief though he heard a ‘but’ in Cas’s words.

“That said,” Cas continued, “I need a bit of time to think all this over. This is a very large thing to have dropped on me. I am not disappearing but I need to put it all together for myself.”

He finished his tea and stood up. Dean stood with him and walked him to the door. Cas opened the door then stood there awkwardly for a minute. Then he turned to Dean and pulled him into a hug. 

“Take care of yourself,” he said softly. “I’ll text you soon.”

Then he left. Dean closed the door, made his way back to the couch and cried.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie being an awesome friend!

“What a bitch!” Charlie exclaimed. She was mid rant on all the ways Jess had screwed up. She had shown up about an hour before with chips, beer, and the Firefly series (plus the movie Serenity). She had given him a hug as soon as she entered then demanded he tell her everything. Dean had anticipated this and had written it all up for her including his conversations with both Sam and Cas. She had read it then started fuming.

“If her little drunken stunt does anything to hurt the dynamic duo that is you and Cas, then I don’t care how good she is with Sam or how much he loves her. I will destroy her! Every trace of her will disappear for the internet! All her money… oops look who just made donations to LGBTQ+ charities!”

Dean had to smile. Charlie was a good friend and a great person but you did not want to cross her. 

“I don’t care how drunk you are, you don’t do that to people! That’s how people get beat up and die! I mean, Cas would never do that, but some men don’t react well to other men liking them.”

She kept going and Dean just waited for her to run out of steam. Finally she flopped down dramatically beside him and asked, “So, do you want me to destroy her?”

Dean smiled and shook his head. He pointed at something he had written at the beginning of her rant. ‘She didn’t mean to’ and ‘Sam likes her and I won’t screw that up’. Charlie snorted dismissively at the second point and said, “If she had an ounce of maliciousness behind this Sam would be dodging a bullet.” She sighed, rested her head on Dean's shoulder and added, “I think she just was a drunken idiot. But that doesn’t mean I have to forgive her anytime soon.”

Dean grabbed the paper and pen again and wrote ‘I’m the one who should be holding the grudge, not you.”

Charlie rolled her eyes. “She hurt my best friend. She was a terrible ally. I’m allowed to hold a grudge.”

Dean just smiled at her and turned on the tv. He figured he would let the beautiful crew of Serenity distract her. It worked. Dean loved Carlie and her support but he didn't need her trying to fight his fights for him.

They watched the show until they both could barely keep their eyes open. They still had a couple episodes left plus the movie so Charlie decided to crash on his couch and they could finish the next day.

Dean slept in the next morning but Charlie was still asleep when he walked past to the kitchen. He got the coffee going then decided to make a proper breakfast of pancakes and bacon. When they were done he grabbed a baking pan to use as a tray and loaded it up with coffee, pancakes, bacon, and everything he thought Charlie could want to put on or in her food. 

She blinked at him blurrily when he put the tray on his coffee table but sat up to take the coffee he handed her. After a couple sips she was awake enough to notice the rest of the food. She dug in and groaned with appreciation. Dean went to grab his own food and coffee then joined her.

"It's too bad you're not a girl," Charlie joked, "You would make a good wife for me."

Dean rolled his eyes at her but smiled. He liked taking care of the people he loved.

They watched the rest of Firefly and the movie Serenity. By that time most of the day was gone. They both had work the next day and Dean really needed to buy groceries so Charlie got up to leave as soon as the last credits rolled.

Dean walked her to the door and gave her a hug. She hugged him tight and told him that she would check in on him over then next week. Then Dean spoke for the first time in two days.

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so excited for Christmas! Not really because of the holiday; my family is not gathering so its just going to be me and my two cats. But it is a long weekend! I have been working 6 days a week for the last month, and while i like money... I need a break.
> 
> Hope everyone is doing well. Stay safe out there!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas!! I hope everyone is having a good one whether you are with your family/friends or not. This might be a different kind of Christmas, maybe in a good way, maybe in a bad one, but just know that you are not alone. I love all of you and hope you have the best day possible.

Dean kept himself busy over the next two weeks. Work was a great distraction and his friends seemed to have made a schedule for hanging out with him because almost every night he was invited for beers, movies, board games or something else. When he did get a night to himself, he spent it working around his house.

He had dinner one night with Sam and Jess about a week after his "date" with Cas. He had mostly gotten his ability to speak back. Jess spent most of the night apologizing but Dean was quick to forgive her. He knew she hadn't meant for it to happen and she hadn't been malicious about it. Plus Sam liked her so if nothing else he would have forgiven her for Sam.

Cas kept his promise and didn't disappear from Dean life. They didn't see each other or call but Cas would send Dean texts with bee facts or pictures from his day. Dean was always quick to respond. He was starting to believe that it would all just be forgotten and He and Cas would go on just like always.

He was just finishing his lunch on Friday when his phone rang. He picked it up without checking who was calling, assuming it was Charlie making plans for another movie night. She had taken over the last two weekends and he knew she was plotting to keep taking them over until he was out of his funk.

“Hello?” he answered, anticipating Charlie’s enthusiastic greeting. 

“Hello Dean,” came Cas’s low voice instead.

Dean pulled the phone away from his ear to stare at the screen in disbelief. Then he quickly put it back so he wouldn't miss anything Cas was saying. Luckily he had missed nothing because Cas wasn't talking.

Finally Dean couldn't take it any more. "How you been?" He asked, trying for casual. 

"I've been well," Cas replied, then he stopped again. Dean was just opening his mouth to ask another question, maybe something about the weather, when Cas abruptly asked, "do you have plans for this evening?"

Dean got a sense of deja vu. Automatically he said, "nope, why?"

There was quiet for several minutes, a rustling of paper, then Cas said, "I have tickets to a play and was wondering if you would accompany me."

Dean wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh or cry. It was like he was getting a do over. He thought about asking who Cas really wanted to take out but he wasn't sure he could stand it. He thought about saying no but he could never really say no to Cas.

"What time should I pick you up?" He asked instead.

There was a sound like Cas releasing a breath he had been holding. That made no sense to Dean but he shrugged it off as Cas said, "I would like to be the one to pick you up, if that is alright?"

Two weeks ago Dean would have (and had) argued against taking Cas's car but he wasn't going to ruin their reconciliation over something so small. If they went back to normal Dean would have lots of opportunities to show off Baby's superiority. So he just replied, "ok, what time should I be ready?"

There was the sighing sound again, more rustling of paper, then Cas said, "is 6:30 alright? The play doesn't start until 8:30. We could get dinner before?"

Dean quickly agreed, confirmed that it was a dress up nice kind of event then said his goodbyes. After he hung up he stared at his phone for several minutes. 

Benny eventually broke him out of his daze by asking, "everything all right?"

Dean just nodded and went back to work.

The afternoon passed quickly with only one interruption when Charlie called. Like he had predicted she was planning another movie night. He turned her down.

"Dean Winchester," Charlie said in her best scolding voice, "What could you possibly be doing that is better than hanging out with me watching Star Wars?"

"Cas called," was all Dean said.

There was a pause then Charlie asked cautiously, "and?"

"He has tickets to a play and asked me to go."

"Oh," was all Charlie said to that. She didn't seem to know what response to have. Finally she said, "Maybe Star Wars tomorrow night?"

"Maybe," Dean replied, noncommittally. 

Charlie made him promise to call or text her then next day then hung up. Dean looked at the clock. Only 2 ½ hours till he saw Cas. He just went back to work hoping it would distract him a little while longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I woke up early today and didn't know what to do with myself so I decided to post a chapter and get to writing other ones! Now if only my writer's block would kindly leave so I could get anything done.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short chapter to hold you all over until the next one. My plan is to finish this story in the next week or so. I'm thinking one more chapter and an epilogue... we'll see
> 
> PS: Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite Shakespeare play and the movie versions (1993 Kenneth Branagh version and the 2012 Joss Whedon one) are awesome!

The knock on Dean's door is what finally got him to make a decision on his shirt. Pulling a bright green henley over his head he grabbed his phone and wallet of the way to the door. He opened it up to see Cas standing there in his usual suit with trenchcoat.

"Hello Dean," came Cas's familiar greeting. 

Dean found himself smiling at the words. It was like nothing had changed. "Heya Cas, just give me a moment to grab a jacket and my shoes and we can go."

Cas nodded solemnly. 

It only took Dean a minute or two, then he was locking his door and heading towards Cas ugly gold monstrosity. Cas started the car and changed the radio for a news station to a classic rock one. 

"Where are we headed?" Dean asked as Cas started navigating his way through the streets. 

"It's a surprise," Cas replied.

Dean raised an eyebrow at that. Cas wasn't really one for surprises. He kept quiet though as they drove, enjoying the music and company.

Dean was surprised when Cas pulled into the parking lot of a gourmet burger restaurant. It had opened months ago and Dean had wanted to go but his deep sense of loyalty to the Roadhouse and their burgers prevented him. It was weird, though. This wasn't the kind of place Cas normally made reservations for when he was planning his dates.

The restaurant was pretty packed but Cas calmly walked up to the hostess and said "I have a reservation under the name Novak."

The hostess led them to a table for two and handed them their menus. Dean couldn't decide what he wanted to eat. It all looked so good. Finally Cas suggested they get two different burgers and split them. Dean agreed and they put in their orders.

While they waited they made small talk. By silent consensus they didn't not make any mention of what had happened on their last "date" or anything really personal. Instead Dean told Cas about the cars he had been fixing up, Cas told him some funny medical stories his colleagues had told him.

It was a good time. They laughed lots and the food was great. The only sad thing, in Dean's opinion, was that they ran out of time for dessert. Seeing him pout about it, Cas promised they could find dessert after the play.

"So which play are we seeing?" Dean asked as Cas drove them to the theater.

"Much Ado About Nothing," Cas replied. "It's one of my favorites."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am on my third day off and I don't know what to do with myself anymore. I'm thinking of organizing my library and movie collection, maybe getting a personal library app or something so I can share it with my family. Maybe then I could keep track of who has what in my life.
> 
> Anyways I hope everyone is doing well. Stay safe out there!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Dean finally talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is about 2 hours to midnight where I am so here we are. Happy New Years! Good Riddance 2020! Here's to hoping next year is WAY better than this last one.
> 
> Also there will be an epilogue to this story that I am planning to post in the new year.

It was after the play, after Cas had bought him pie to go and taken him to the park to eat it, that Dean worked up the nerve to ask a question that he had been wondering since Cas first mentioned the play. Maybe it was the fact the dark could hide his own expressions that gave him the courage.

"So who did you chicken out of asking out this time?" Dean asked, keeping his voice casual and light. 

"I didn't ‘chicken out’,” Cas informed him, using air quotes. It was cute, Dean thought. “I wrote a script, followed it, and asked them out."

"And they said no? Why?" Dean couldn’t imagine anyone in their right mind saying no to a date with Cas. He was smart, funny, very good looking, and a doctor.

"They didn't say no." Cas wasn’t looking at Dean, instead focusing on the pond in the middle of the park. The moon hit it in a way that it illuminated the whole area.

Now Dean was really confused. "Then why am I here?"

"Because I asked you out." Cas said the words casually but they hit like a bomb in Dean’s mind. 

While he was still reeling from Cas’s confession, Cas suddenly changed the subject. “Do you know why Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorite plays?” At Dean’s silent shaking of his head Cas continued, “I have always liked how the relationship between Beatrice and Benedict was handled. It could have been done as a huge production of getting the two together but instead it was done by basically presenting the idea that the other one liked them then letting each character decide how they felt about it. When they examined their own feelings they realized they loved the other person. It was as if knowing that the other person loved them allowed them to love in return.”

Dean had no idea what this had to do with what they had been talking about before but kept quiet. Maybe Cas would explain himself.

After a couple minutes of silence Cas did. 

“Over the last two weeks I have been thinking a lot about us. We have been friends for a long time and I thought about how we were in school, how we were when we lived far apart and how we have been since I moved back. I thought about what Anna said, what Jess said, and finally what you said.” 

He paused again and Dean felt his heart sink. He was pretty sure this was the part where Cas told him that they were through. That they couldn’t even be friends anymore. 

“I even thought about what you said about me being straight and only dating women. I thought about this all and came to several conclusions.”

Dean wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it but like a trainwreck he was helpless to stop it.

“First, I want you in my life. I cannot imagine my life without you in it and when I try I find myself very distressed.”

Dean let out the breath he had been holding and felt the first glimmer of hope since Cas had started talking.

“Second, a person's gender matters less to me than I would have thought. And third,” here he turned to look right at Dean. Slowly and gently he took Dean’s hand, “I love you.”

If Dean had thought Cas telling him he had been the intended date was a bombshell, it was nothing next to this confession. He was glad for the darkness because he started to cry silently. Never in a million years had he expected those words to come out of Cas’s mouth.

“It is strange to think how easy it was for me to admit that to myself once I started examining our relationship. It was if, like with Beatrice and Benedict, the knowledge of your feelings allowed me to see you in that light. When I did, I realized I have been in love with you for years. All those dates I ‘chickened out’ of,” he used air quotes again, “was because I would get the tickets, make the reservation and suddenly I would be thinking about how much more fun it would be to take you to the event than the women I had originally planned to. Next thing I would know I would be calling you to see if you were available. Even when you weren’t I could no longer bring myself to invite out the originally intended recipient. Subconsciously I seem to have been trying to court you for years.”

Dean gave a shaky laugh and squeezed Cas’s hand. Cas returned the pressure. 

“Dean, if you would be willing, I would like to date you,” Cas said, looking into Dean’s eyes, his deep voice formal. 

Dean didn’t trust his voice and just nodded. Cas’s face split into a grin and he pulled Dean into a tight hug. Then slowly, almost carefully, Cas lowered his face to Dean’s and gave him their first kiss.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this story was originally going to end with the chapter before this but there was one thing I couldn't get out of my head. You know when something good comes out of something bad and everyone is like "well, it's a good thing that bad thing happened"? Yeah I wanted to address that (as well as I could). At first I was going to have Jess do the "and it wouldn't have happened if not for me" but actually wanted to like Jess so I scrapped that. I hope this captured my vision.

Being in a relationship with Cas was surprisingly easy. They had been friends for so long they already knew each other's annoying habits. That didn't mean they didn't have any problems but it was the same as with any new relationship.

Their friends were surprised but supportive. Sam and Charlie had actually shown up at Dean’s place the morning after his date with Cas to stage an intervention. They had sat him down and explained that they couldn't keep watching him pine after Cas and get nothing in return. He listened to all their points silently then, when they were done, told them that he and Cas were dating. The look on their faces had been priceless but after they got over their shock they were both very happy for him. 

Dean and Cas took their relationship slow. It was over a month before they even moved past hand holding and light kisses to making out. Dean didn't mind. Cas had never been in a relationship with a man before and had very limited experience in romantic relationships in general. Dean was just happy to call him his.

The only thing they did move somewhat quickly on was moving in together. When they had been together about 5 months Cas's lease was up on his apartment. Dean owned his house so he suggested Cas move in with him. They set him up in one of the spare rooms but pretty soon Cas was just using it as a place to store his stuff; He spent almost every night with Dean. 

Cas still took Dean on dates to plays, ballets and other events Dean pretended he wasn't interested in. Cas had offered early on to take Dean on other kinds of dates but Dean had confessed that he liked going to the theatre and such, he just didn't like to admit it. He had been trying to play down the gay stereotype. Cas had shut that down and the first time someone (Sam) made fun of Dean for going to the theatre so much, Cas had set him straight in no uncertain terms. It had been hot.

They had just finished watching a local theatre’s adaption of A Midsummer's Night Dream and were having beers with Sam and Jess when one of her nurse friends drunkenly staggered over to them to gush at what a cute couple Dean and Cas made. Then she said "and it was all thanks to Jess."

Everyone stared at her, Jess with horror on her face. “No,” she said quickly. “They got together because of how they felt about each other. All I did was almost wreak a decades old friendship and even my own relationship. No thanks is wanted or expected.”

The drunk friend was at least sober enough to realize she had screwed up and quickly went to find other people to bug. What she said was true, though, Dean thought. If it hadn't been for Jess they might not have ended up together. What Jess had said was also true. She could have ruined everything. 

Dean and Cas had met with her and Sam not long after they started dating and told her that everything was forgiven. Even with that it took a bit of time for the two men to warm back up to her. But Sam loved her so they made the effort and now they were all getting along great. 

Dean had regrets about how Cas came to find out about Dean’s feelings but he was glad that they had a solid friendship before they started dating. Cas had been his first love and now it looked like he would be his last love too. And now all the dates Cas planned were real one just for Dean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! A whole new year! I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe.  
> I hope you all have enjoyed this story and thank you for sticking with me. I hope you continue to stick with me through my other stories.
> 
> Cheers and Happy New Year!!!


End file.
